“Chinese writers of children’s books which many children find boring and unattractive, should learn from the British writer J.K. Rowling and her best seller Harry Potter in order to win back readers, many writers and experts say …” (From the People’s Daily.)

Mystery surrounds a ‘review’ of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the teen magician’s as yet unreleased film. A keen nethead has posted an article about the film on the web, despite the fact it is not due out until November. The review is on the notorious film gossip website Ain’t It Cool, and describes the film as ‘funnier and spookier’ than the original, though slightly more complicated. The author, who styles himself Walkabouter, concludes: “Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets has some things really going for it. “There are improvements, there are smiles and there are scenes of fancy. But there are drawbacks, too, though few and far between. Secrets seems to have taken three steps forward but one step back.”

The filmmakers, Warner Brothers, have dismissed the article as completely false. But it is not unknown for well-informed ‘advance reviews’ of upcoming flicks to appear on websites – placed there by Hollywood sources or other insiders for amusement, revenge or (whisper the word!) publicity.